190 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



instances close to the summit, and usually in a warm corner 

 sheltered on the north and west, and facing the south and east. 

 This rule appeared to hold good both here and on Shillay and 

 others of the outlying Hebrides. We found some 15 or 20 nests 

 in all, but only helped ourselves moderately. One nest contained 

 9 eggs, but most of the others from 2 to 4. When startled off the 

 nest the duck has a very nasty habit, which entitles her, according 

 to an old Scotch saying, of having the name bestowed upon her of a 

 very "foul bird." The smell thus raised is very pungent and very 

 abominable. After a good many birds had been disturbed off their 

 nests, we saw both males and females tossing about in the sea, 

 just clear of the surf. With care, I believe an approximate estimate 

 of the numbers breeding on the islands might be arrived at, but 

 our hurried visit did not permit of our doing this. 



Obs. Arctic Tern. — Sterna macrura, Naiim. — Captain Elwes, 

 in 1868, found a colony of Arctic Terns of 80 to 100 pairs on the 

 low part of the island, on 30th June, at which time the eggs were 

 mostly hard set. We saw no Terns at all. The usual number 

 laid by this species appears to be two. On the mainshores of 

 N. Uist, they were just beginning to lay, Dan — one of our men — 

 having taken one egg on a rock in Newton Bay, the previous day. 



Obs. Kittiwake. — Rissa tridactyla, (Lin.). — Captain Elwes also 

 found a fair number of Kittiwakes, but of this bird I did not see 

 one. 



Great Black-backed Gull. — Larus marimis, Lin. — One pair 

 only made their presence known amongst a crowd of Herring and 

 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, but I did not succeed in finding the 

 eggs. They were breeding, however, towards the west and amongst 

 the Lesser Black-backs, above the puddle of water which is fre- 

 quented by the Seals in their breeding-time. 



Lesser Black-backed Gull. — Larus fuscus, Lin. — 



Herring Gull. — Larus argentatus, Gm. — These two birds were 

 seen in about equal numbers in a colony, much scattered, however, 

 and the latter also in pairs in the cliffs, and on the tops. 



Puffin. — Fratercula ardica, (Lin.). — Apparently the most 

 abundant species all over the island, tunnelling as usual amongst 

 the sea-pink hummocks, or under the loose stones. With a spade 

 or a pick, hundreds of eggs might easily have been gathered. 



Guillemot. — Uria troile^ (Lin.). — Abundant on all the suitable 

 ledges round the island; the eggs as a rule more safely deposited 



